Jane and Maura vs The World
by buttholebooty
Summary: Rizzles Zombie AU: A series of interconnecting one-shots that follow Jane and Maura as they navigate the good, the bad, and the fucking weird of a zombie apocalypse.
1. Introduction: Part 1

_Early May_

_2014_

The apocalypse came as quickly and loudly as one would imagine.

One day, Jane and Maura were lounging on Maura's couch watching the Sox game, and the next they were running for their lives on the streets of Boston as Hell ascended upon Earth.

Jane had watched Frankie run in the opposite direction to his car, and that was the last she'd seen of him. Next she saw Korsak though the Boston PD doors as he motioned for her to join him.

But Jane only gave him a long look- a goodbye.

She knew she wouldn't have been able to go with Korsak even if she tried. She knew, somehow, that no matter what happened, she had to stay with Maura.

And, by God, she thanked her lucky stars that she did.

Maura had stayed calm and collected, forging a plan as they fled from the streets and laid out its basic steps to Jane. They would first collect a few guns and a large amount of ammo, which could be found in the basement of Boston PD. Next, they would continue to the garage, locate a suitably heavyweight cruiser, and then get the hell out of the city.

Jane worked on autopilot as Maura fed her simple instructions. They stopped at the gun locker and worked together to load four bags with all the guns and ammo in reach, then Maura ran off to start up one of the department's sizable Ford SUVs.

Jane sat in the passenger seat, numb and disoriented, as Maura maneuvered the big police car through the streets of Boston. Jane couldn't help but look out the tinted windows at the scene unfolding before her.

People, hundreds of them, were running wildly about, all crazed with fear and helplessness. Some held guns or makeshift weapons and were able to protect themselves from the infected.

A middle aged woman with brown hair and wrinkled eyes approached their slow-moving car and Jane was instantly revived from her languid stupor: the woman was almost identical to her own mother. She fumbled with the car door but could only watch with wide eyes when the woman's neck was ripped open by a walking corpse.

Jane did not open the window when she threw up.

A few other cars were moving through the madness, but the majority of vehicles were left abandoned in the middle of the streets. Amidst the chaos, Maura remained focused. Her eyes stayed set on the road.

Jane watched the other woman drive until she felt her consciousness slipping away.

* * *

When Jane awoke, Maura was still driving: slowly, carefully, weaving through a maze of abandoned cars and crazed, infected humans on the Mass Pike highway. She heard cacophonous planes flying overhead, and watched military tanks roll down the pavement through the swarms of walking corpses.

Jane looked down and saw that she was sitting in a pile of her own vomit.

She closed her eyes again and did not open them for five hours.

* * *

Jane awoke to silence.

"Maura?" She lifted her head to meet her friend's thoughtful gaze.

Maura carefully explained to a bewildered Jane that she had driven them more than 150 miles to Northern Massachusetts, where one of her family's wealthy friends owned a secluded mansion in the Berkshire Mountains.

Her plan, she told Jane, was to stock up on necessities and then isolate themselves in the mansion for a few months.

They were currently stopped in a campsite just outside of New Ashford, a small town close to their destination. Jane had been in a state of shock, Maura had explained, which was why she fainted and slept for the duration of the ride. Maura had woken her up when they reached this relatively safe area.

"New Ashford has a population of under 350 persons," she told Jane in a gentle voice. "We have a very low chance of coming across any who are infected if we go into a home to gather supplies."

Jane nodded mutely. Maura bit her lip.

"Jane, I know this is difficult, but I need you here." Jane had simply nodded again. Maura looked at her worriedly.

"Would you like to stay in the car while I find supplies alone?" Maura asked, hoping for another nod.

But something in Jane clicked. Maura needed her help, and she sure as hell wasn't going to let her best friend go scavenging alone without backup.

Jane blinked, twice, and shook herself.

"No, Maura. I'll come with you."

And so they went.

* * *

Jane insisted that Maura carry a gun, but the big house that Maura had scoped out earlier while driving was entirely empty: a stroke of much-needed luck. They found empty milk crates in a garage and a child's red wagon, which they decided they would use to transport the supplies back to their car.

Maura insisted on finding 'nutritional necessities' in the home's kitchen and pantry, so Jane was left to root through the bathrooms for first-aid equipment. She got lucky and found a nice, bulky first aid kit designed for a small family, which she immediately set aside and deemed her most important find. (Of course, she would later revert it to second most important find once she came across a cabinet filled with liquor.)

After sifting through some more cabinets, she set aside cotton balls, adhesive tape, Tums, hand sanitizer, toothpaste and toothbrushes, two hair brushes (which she knew Maura would appreciate), a comb, two sticks of deodorant, and all the rolls of toilet paper she could find, which came to thirteen in total. Jane allowed herself a self-satisfied smirk, and loaded the equipment into a few milk crates and brought them back to the kitchen.

Maura had been busy looting as well. She knew perishables were inconvenient, so she painstakingly turned her back on the quality assortment of fruits and veggies in the fridge.

She was pleased that luck seemed to be on their side. She rummaged through all the well-organized cabinets and a well-stocked pantry, noting the amount of food and mentally listing what they could take and what they could not. After a good ten minutes, she had assembled an army of various canned foods such as beans, vegetables and soups. Then, she also took half a dozen boxes of crackers and protein bars, another half a dozen larger boxes of cereal and bags of chips, a medium-sized bag filled with 'Kale Chips,' (she grinned as she found these shoved far into the back of one of the cabinets; obviously the person who lived here had not taken a liking to them and Maura doubted Jane would either), and lastly, a horde of twinkies (which she was inclined to ignore, but realized that they were at least some form of sustenance and Jane's favorite guilty pleasure).

She then of course looted as many liquids as she could find- some soda, juice boxes, and bottles of water. Maura patted her pile of cans and bags proudly, then started to stack the cans inside the milk crates.

When she was finished, she had filled five total crates and was confident the food would last at least a month, if they were careful.

She called for Jane, who had just started clomping down the stairs carrying her crates. Maura scanned Jane's findings and deemed them acceptable, then the pair stacked their combined supplies onto the red wagon.

Before they started back to the car, Jane disappeared into the expansive garage for a few minutes and emerged with a crowbar and a shovel slung across her shoulders and three rolls of duct tape and some rope around her wrist. She laid these down on the wagon, then ventured back to the garage and reappeared seconds later with two heavyweight sleeping bags, a camp mess kit, and a bundle that seemed to be...

"A tent," Jane said, tossing the item into Maura. "The people who lived here seem to be pretty big campers. These sleeping bags are, well," She paused and grinned coyly. "They're very...Isles-like quality."

Maura narrowed her eyes and gave Jane a playful shove. Jane feigned injury, and when they both laughed, it came as a welcome relief.

It took only a quarter of an hour to walk the supplies back to the car on the thin forest road. Jane loaded the crates of canned food, water and first aid into the bottom of the trunk, while Maura spread the sleeping bags out on two car seats. Jane put the crowbar and shovel near their guns. They loaded the red wagon, too, just for the hell of it.

When they were done, Maura suggested lightly that they snack on some 'Kale Chips' before they went to bed.

Jane's groan was so loud it shook the car.

* * *

**A/N: **There will be two more introductory chapters after this, just to set up the story and make it seem as realistic as possible. Hopefully. And hopefully this first chapter is as realistic as possible. The whole thing is a little far-fetched, but I did the best I could.

I really hope I did OK with their characterization- I love these girls dearly and I want them to be happy.

If there are any problems, please let me know, and feedback is always appreciated! Thanks for reading!


	2. Introduction: Part 2

Maura had insisted on moving the car farther into the campsite before they slept, and it was dark before she finally chose the perfect spot. Jane just grumbled through her friend's pickiness, and even attempted to eat a Kale Chip.

She gagged dramatically, rolled down the window, and sent the chip flying into the forest. She would've thrown the whole damn bag if Maura hadn't stopped her with a glare.

* * *

When she had locked and secured the car, Maura climbed into the backseat and slithered into the remaining sleeping bag. It was soft and dark green and smelled like maple syrup, and she felt attached to it immediately.

Jane set up a small flashlight in between them, and the dim glow was enough to illuminate both their faces.

Crickets sang. The leaves of the forest's trees whispered in the wind.

"Ok." Jane started when they were both settled comfortably. "We need to talk about this."

Maura nodded once, and Jane cleared her throat to continue.

"Good. So. It seems we have been thrown into Zombieland."

"Yes," Maura agreed with a quick nod. "But scientifically, Jane, human reanimation is by all means a mythological concept. Once a human has died, their heart stops pumping oxygenated blood to the body and their muscles succumb to rigor mortis. This makes movement after death impossible, and how is one able to kill an organism that is already dead?" Maura stopped and shook her head. "But because of the obvious evidence we've seen today with our own eyes, I'm going to conclude that what has been infecting and reanimating humans does not yet have a scientific explanation."

"Good," Jane said slowly, her lips quirking upwards. "Thank you, Doctor Isles, for your detailed hypothesis."

Maura grinned, detecting Jane's sarcasm. "You're welcome, Detective."

They grinned at each other for a few seconds until Jane frowned and continued.

"But really, Maura. This is the next pandemic, like, um, smallpox, or-"

"The Black Death," Maura offered. "Eradicated more than one half of Europe."

"Yeah, that, but this is different, because the infected don't just _die._ They go on to infect others-"

"Which would mean the disease spreads far quicker, and becomes far deadlier."

"Yes." Jane paused. "God, Maura,"

"Jane?"

"We..." Jane pressed a finger to her temple. Too much, too fast, now that she was really letting herself think about it, and reality was crushing her skull. "Everything...is gone. Now."

Maura's eyes softened, and she let out a slow breath.

"Yes, Jane...I...I don't think our lives will ever be the same."

"Why did we escape? Why us? How were you smart enough to get us out of there?"

"Jane," she whispered, and felt a crushing wave of empathy for her friend. "We were just lucky, I suppose."

When Jane didn't reply, Maura moved closer. She could see the hard set of Jane's face, similar to how she looked after arriving at the scene of Frost's accident.

Suddenly she had to act.

Maura wormed out of her sleeping bag and slid over to Jane, who was breathing raggedly.

"Oh, Jane," Maura breathed, tears pooling in her eyes. She wrapped her arms around the other woman in a strong embrace.

Jane was shaking and sobbing, and Maura was scared, so, so scared, because she was so out of her depth and so unsure of how to proceed.

Jane had cried before, but it was never like this: like her own heart had been savagely ripped from her chest. Maura cried as Jane sobbed and the darkness surrounded them.

Maura held Jane for hours, even after she heard the other woman's sobs fade into the steady breathing of sleep.

The crickets had stopped singing and the wind was not blowing and the silence was loud, too loud, and Maura was trapped, paralyzed and afraid in a van in the forest. She knew now they must only be delaying the inevitable, and how would that inevitable come? Boston had fallen, they could never go back, but what lurked here? Would they succumb to hunger, or thirst, or would they be ripped apart by a monster from Hell?

But then Jane whimpered in her sleep and tucked her head into Maura's shoulder and it stopped. Maura pushed away her ever-present rationalizations, her blind fear, and held on to Jane. She held Jane, held her and let Jane's steady breathing bring her back down.

Maura held Jane and listened to her breathe until light peeked through the thick branches of the forest.

Later in the morning, when Jane began to stir, Maura slipped silently back into her own sleeping bag and closed her eyes.

* * *

**A/N: **The next and final Intro chapter will bring them to the setting of the majority of this story.

I would also like to add my reason for making Jane grieve more than Maura here: I feel that although Maura does have family, Jane's is far closer to her and she is much more connected to the entire community- more than Maura. To me, Maura's family _is_ Jane, and only Jane. We know that Maura hasn't had many friends or people close to her in her life, so being ripped away from the world wouldn't hurt as much. If anyone disagrees, let me know in a review or a PM.

Feedback is appreciated! Thanks for reading! :)


	3. Introduction: Part 3

The sun was rising in the sky as Maura maneuvered the big SUV out of the camp area and back onto the thin country highway.

The two women had spent the first hour of their morning eating canned lentil soup and discussing the remainder of their plan: finish the drive North, find the house in the Berkshires, and secure it. They also discussed their new reality in more depth, and now that they both had their initial shock and grief out of the way, they were able to rationalize their situation and communicate clearly.

"So I say, if we come up against one of those things-" Jane had started as they finished up their cans.

"When," Maura corrected. Jane bit her lip.

"When," she said slowly. "I say we go for a head shot- that's how we stop them. I saw some people take the things down yesterday in the city by doing that, so, I say that's what we do."

Maura nodded, Jane offered a tight smile, and that was that.

* * *

Northern Massachusetts was quite beautiful in the springtime, and Jane was content to gaze out her window at the passing pine forests and occasional glimpses of swamps or glittering lakes.

Wildlife was abundant. Deers grazed on ferns close to the pavement of the highway, and birds of all shapes flew in the air above them. Maura helpfully clarified the species and latin name of each bird, adding that she had taken it upon herself to learn about the rich Massachusetts bird populations upon moving to Boston.

Jane just snorted under her breath, but smiled foolishly too, when Maura couldn't see.

* * *

After just under half an hour of uneventful driving, Maura turned off the small highway and followed a road into a town with a spattering of rustic buildings. Although Maura was forced to weave through the hordes of cars and people on the highway a day earlier, there was no activity here.

She followed the road through the quiet area, driving cautiously. Jane clutched her seat tightly and resisted the urge to close her eyes.

The road through the town split off into smaller roads, which split off into smaller roads, which led them farther and farther up into uninhabited territory. Maura followed a map of Massachusetts (which Jane had found in one of the car's compartments) and hoped she was remembering clearly where the Covingtons had their sprawling property. (Maura's mother was quite close with Ms. Covington through their art; Maura had faint memories of coming to Massachusetts once as a child to visit their Berkshire manor).

She remembered it being so secluded that she thought as a young child that they were lost forever and would have to go hunting for food in the forest.

The Covingtons had neighbors, other rich families with huge retreat homes in the wilderness, but they were all at least a mile separated by dirt roads.

_Good for our...situation,_ Maura thought absentmindedly as she drove.

_I hope Jane likes it._

* * *

The dirt road was bumpy and treacherous, and Maura laughed when Jane would curse loudly at every pothole.

The forest around them was thick and full. Tall grass spilled over the edges of the forest, and wildflowers grew in bunches on each side of the dirt path. The sun's afternoon rays flitted through the treetops and made a kalediscope pattern on the ground.

"Well," Jane said as they continued at their slow pace. She dared to crack her window and breathe in the sweet pine-tinted breeze. "It is beautiful."

* * *

It took them a good part of an hour to laboriously wind their way up the path. Along the way, Maura pointed out each fork in the road as a path to another mansion.

"Hmm," Jane said with a slow grin. "Think rich mountain people like canned food?"

Maura shot her a look.

* * *

The road continued.

"If I'm correct," Maura began as she studied the map. "We're only a few miles away."

Jane sat up and tucked a gun into her belt.

* * *

Eventually, the road emerged from the forest and into a clearing. The SUV bumbled up the road until the property came into view.

Jane's mouth dropped.

It was beautiful. The mansion alone was breath-taking, designed like a ski cabin with wood and brick, but with a modern feel. Two gigantic pine trees provided shade, and and the wispy clouds in front of a mountain in the distance made the whole scene look like a postcard. A good-sized garage was tucked over closer to the treeline, and Jane was astounded to see a polished little yacht next to it. Jane craned her neck out of the window and to her astonishment, just barely 100 feet away from the back of the house was a beach that led into a beautiful, glittering lake, surrounded on all sides by trees and a few big rocks.

It truly was a magnificent piece of property. Jane stretched as far as she could out of the window to see and smell and feel it all, to take it all in, all of this wondrous beauty and quiet perfection.

Maura pulled the car up just in front of the garage, and Jane opened her door as soon as the car stopped. She ran out in front of the house and stood, awestruck in the shadow of the mountain that loomed over the clearing.

Something inside of her soul was suddenly filled with light.

Maura tentatively stepped out of the SUV. The property was just as she remembered it, but how would Jane respond to it? How would they be able to survive in such an isolate place? How long could they survive, if food or water were to run out or they were attacked by infected? And would Jane like their new reality...their new home, for the time being? Maura wrung her hands nervously and felt a sudden twinge of unease.

Jane came around to her side of the car. Maura studied her friend's shocked expression. She swallowed her unpleasant feeling.

"You...do you like it?" Maura asked hesitantly. Jane met her questioning gaze and smiled widely.

"Oh, Maura," she said breathlessly. She was so filled with the beauty and pureness of the place, her soul felt so clean and new, and she just couldn't help herself. She took a swift step forward, bent her legs and lifted Maura in the air, resulting in a surprised yelp from the shorter woman. Jane spun her around and then pulled Maura flush against her so that the tips of their noses were almost touching.

"I love it," Jane whispered softly as she carefully set Maura down, and they smiled shyly at each other for a few moments until Jane cleared her throat and broke the silence.

"So." She backed up a few paces to further asses the property.

"How do we get inside?"

* * *

After searching for a few focused minutes, Jane was able to find three rocks that, with enough force, might be able to break a window.

"Which one should we try?" Jane huffed as she approached Maura, the heavy rocks cradled in her arms.

"There's a bathroom that leads out onto the porch. The door has a glass window," Maura replied, leading Jane to the back of the house.

Jane dropped the rocks in front of the door and lifted the biggest one.

"Here we go," she said, then heaved the rock over her head and lobbed it at the window with as much force as she could muster.

The rock bounced daintily off the window without so much as a scratch.

Jane threw the rocks five times in total, and Maura even gave a try. The window held fast.

Jane sighed.

"Here, let's try this," she said with a lazy grin, and wiggled her hands in front of the door. "Open sesame!"

Maura chuckled and Jane half-heartedly turned the doorknob.

And, with a small squeak, the door swung open.

They stared at each other for a few moments, then burst out laughing.

* * *

The pair worked together to unload the SUV and bring the crates of supplies into the mansion. Maura was left to herself to carry the heavy BPD bags of guns and ammo inside when Jane vanished to explore the big house, under the pretense of assuring its safety. Maura found herself smiling at Jane's child-like excitement; she really was just a big softie under her tough exterior.

After assuring that their supplies were secure and organized inside, Maura climbed the stairs to the second floor and found Jane gazing out a window.

She bit her lip, then approached her friend with small steps. Hesitantly, she reached down and took Jane's hand in hers. Jane was quiet, her eyes focused on the horizon. Maura gave a delicate squeeze. The taller woman looked down at their entwined hands, and smiled softly at Maura.

They stood together inside the sturdy house and watched the sun sink below the trees.

* * *

**A/N:** That's it for the Introduction Chapters. I hope I've made their situation seem at least somewhat realistic, even with the wildly convenient house in the middle of nowhere.

If anything looks like it could use work, please let me know! Thanks for reading! :)


	4. Barbie Glam Convertible: In Stores Now!

It was their first supplies trip.

Maura started up the big SUV that had remained dormant for almost a month, and placed her gun on the floor in front of her feet. Jane settled herself in the passenger seat, then tapped her belt to be reassured by her gun.

They had adjusted, as much as was possible, to rustic living. They had both found new clothes in Mr. and Ms. Covington's large closets that were suited to their environment- hunting gear, mostly, but Maura would sometimes greet Jane in the morning wearing a colorful blouse or change into a dress for dinner.

Their days had been spent exploring the surrounding areas and fortifying the mansion for safe living. Jane had recently been cleaning the Covington's boat and getting it ready for them to try to put it in the water.

They had learned to only consume four or five cans a day, and maybe one other snack, if they shared, and to ration water. Over the last week, they had taken to only sharing three cans a day to delay the inevitable of the food disappearing.

But they could not keep cutting back forever.

That morning, Jane had jumped up from one of the beds on the upper floors to run downstairs and shake Maura awake from her preferred place on the couch.

"Let's go, sleeping beauty!" Jane poked Maura's head, still nestled deep into her sleeping bag. When her friend didn't stir, Jane grinned mischievously and delivered a swift spank to Maura's backside. "Time to wake up!"

The sun was only just rising as they loaded a bag with supplies for their trip, including a multitude of first aid, two cans of beans, protein bars, two cans of Mellow Yellow, extra guns, and ammo. Maura decided to throw their sleeping bags in the trunk next to their trusty milk crates, adding that they might as well camp out in the car for one night.

* * *

There had been a brief spat over who would drive. Maura won, of course, and she drove them safely down the winding forest path. They made it to a paved road in just under an hour, and stopped at the first house they saw.

* * *

Jane is running, frantically, the vague feeling of dread that was building in her gut now turning to a consuming helplessness. This is not a good place to be. Get out. Out, right now.

She looks around, snaps her dark eyes to each shadowy corner but there's no out. No out.

She's an animal in a cage, and Maura has her gun.

_C'mon, Rizzoli. Let's get out of this._

Her eyes adjust to the dull lighting, and they flit from place to place, looking for an option as the telltale moaning and shuffling grows closer. It's wrong, god, it's all wrong, she can't be here.

Jane is in a garage- next to the house they stopped at, the house she watched Maura run into when the horde of things came staggering from God knows where. They didn't have time to plan, or talk, or act...Jane wanted to curse herself for being so stupid.

It's useless garage too. She hasn't seen a shovel or a baseball bat or, hell, a hammer even, just shelves and shelves of books and cardboard boxes filled with papers and other invaluable shit. Aside from that, she sees a few bikes, a hose, a kiddie pool, gardening gloves, pots, bird seed, some old video cassette movies and a... Barbie car? She would laugh, or at least chuckle, but this is sure as hell not the time- time, which is running out.

An SPT- sharp pointy thing- is nowhere in sight. Too late: one of the things rounds the corner.

_Oh, no._

Jane backs up a bit more and her shoulders hit against a cold wall.

_Oh, no._

The thing lunges and she does the only thing she can think of: with a yell, Jane hoists the huge Barbie car into the air and slams the motherfucker to the ground. It's down, and she allows herself a breathy sigh of relief.

Two more of the things find her hiding place. Jane grunts, the car is swung again, and the things go down.

Four more now, and she heaves the car up again in a futile effort of self-defense but the car isn't big enough for more than two and she's tired and just above malnourished and sick of this entire mess- then she hears the unmistakable sound of a knife slicing through flesh and four sickening thuds.

Like a miracle, the four heads of the four things in front of her are gone, and the bodies each crumple to the ground.

She wants to weep. She wants to fall to the ground. She wants a beer.

She throws the Barbie car aside and grins sheepishly at Maura, who's standing behind the four bodies with big knife, a focused glare and a poised stance.

Jane shivers.

"You OK?" Maura asks breathlessly, and Jane suddenly notices that her friend is entirely covered in blood, absolutely splattered in it, and some is even smeared on her face.

"Don't worry, Jane. It's not mine." She points, with an exaggerated flourish, to the trail of things she left in her path and flashes an almost cocky grin. Jane lets herself laugh once, and Maura laughs too.

Maura then grabs her friend's forearm to steady her; Jane is obviously unsettled by the close encounter with the things.

"Jane. You OK?" Maura repeats, and Jane breathes out before she gives a curt nod.

"Yeah. Yeah, Maura, I'm fine."

Maura hands Jane her gun, and then cocks an eyebrow at the discarded Barbie car.

"Jane, I have to say," Maura starts out, and Jane shakes her head and starts to chuckle. "That is quite a creative method of self-defense."

Their eyes meet and they both break out laughing. They laugh wearily until one of the decapitated heads starts to groan.

Jane straightens up.

"We need to go," she says gruffly. Maura nods immediately.

They make it back to the SUV safely and start down the road.

* * *

Hours later, as they were parked by the side of a road checking their new inventory of supplies and getting ready to sleep, Jane would surprise Maura with the set of Barbie stickers she had snagged from the pink car just as they were leaving the garage. They giggled like little girls as they plastered each other's faces with the childish designs, and Jane told a story about a Barbie doll who had ended up in the evil clutches of her middle school aged brothers and was given a 'makeover,' which consisted of a nasty punk hair cut and a sharpie-grafittied body.

Maura laughed and laughed, and after they spent the evening and night talking, the two women made sure to add the stickers to a car window as a memory.

They both pretended to not hear the shuffling of the endless packs of undead that roamed the highways.

* * *

**A/N: **If anyone has a prompt or idea for a one-shot similar to this, I would love to hear it in a review or a PM!

I know the tenses are a bit weird in this one ehhughhh hh sorry and if there's anything I could fix or any suggestions about their characterization, let me know.

Thanks for reading! :)


	5. The Author Apologizes For This Chapter

"_God_, Jane! Push harder!" Maura yelled.

"Maura, it's my first time," Jane said uncertainly. "I've never done anything like this."

"Th-that's fine, you're doing fine," the other woman gasped. "JANE! I need you to push harder!"

"Uh, OK...like this?"

"_Yes_, Jane, that's amazing!"

"We're almost there," Jane rasped.

"Almost," Maura agreed, breathing heavily. "Oh! That- that's it!"

And with that, the two women collapsed, sweaty and exhausted. They exchanged tired grins.

"I'm glad we were able to push our car out of that mud," Maura said. "It was quite a challenge."

"Yes," Jane responded, patting the tire of the SUV affectionately. "Alright, let's get going."

Jane opened Maura's door. They hi-fived and continued down the road.

* * *

AN: i will update with more real chapters in a week or so...school has just been crazy! i appreciate all the positive feedback! :)


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